Kings County sheriff hoping to expand jail even more
The Kings County jail is in the middle of expanding, but it's possible this isn't the only expansion they'll do. They're hoping to add even more resources to the site.
KINGS COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Phase two in the expansion of the Kings County Jail is underway. Walls are now in place and it's on track to be finished in 2018. When completed, the jail will be able to house 250 more inmates, have additional medical space and classrooms.
But Sheriff Dave Robinson is hoping to expand the jail even more. He said, "It's really important to me to not only for the current citizens who live here but for the future generations to have a safe environment."
He's applied for funding from the state and is hoping to get $20 million. The state will announce in November who is getting the grants.
But Sheriff Robinson already knows if they get the money they'll use it to build resources to transition people back into the community. He said, "Ninety-nine percent of them get released back into our community, but historically we haven't always done a great job of making sure that we give them the tools they need to reintegrate into the community and be productive citizens when they come back and not go back into a life of crime."
The expansion would include transitional housing and more classrooms to teach life skills. "If we do nothing for them while they're incarcerated, we're really not accomplishing anything other than just putting them back into a situation where they're most likely to re-offend," Robinson said.
Robinson says future projections show the number of inmates rising in Kings County. He's hoping if he gets the funding he needs, the county will start seeing a decrease instead.
